Watch 'Monster' Ants Attack Prey Faster Than the Blink Of an Eye

Two species of the trap-jaw ant Myrmoteras have a completely unique, never-before-seen way of snapping their jaws shut. This footage was taken on a camera that can capture 50,000 frames per second. Scientists used micro CT scans to create a 3D image of the inner workings of their mandibles. They found that the mandible joint allows the jaws to stay locked in an open position—a completely different mechanism from all other known trap-jaw ants. When striking, the ant will compress its head and trigger a fast-contracting muscle that releases the jaws from their locked position. It only takes a tenth of a millisecond for these ants to shut their jaws—700 times faster than the blink of an eye.

Watch 'Monster' Ants Attack Prey Faster Than the Blink Of an Eye

Two species of the trap-jaw ant Myrmoteras have a completely unique, never-before-seen way of snapping their jaws shut. This footage was taken on a camera that can capture 50,000 frames per second. Scientists used micro CT scans to create a 3D image of the inner workings of their mandibles. They found that the mandible joint allows the jaws to stay locked in an open position—a completely different mechanism from all other known trap-jaw ants. When striking, the ant will compress its head and trigger a fast-contracting muscle that releases the jaws from their locked position. It only takes a tenth of a millisecond for these ants to shut their jaws—700 times faster than the blink of an eye.